


Demons of the Past

by GNOBNG



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 15:37:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17164652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GNOBNG/pseuds/GNOBNG
Summary: Demons never announced when they were coming back for a visit. Aaron’s demons have been silent for the past few years.





	Demons of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> 2018 Secret Santa Gift for @dancerinvisible on Tumblr.
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr. I'm @thewindstruckeagle. Thanks for@getyourfaceoutofmyface for playing around this idea with me awhile back. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas!

Seb age 3

After Seb came back to them, they had decided to go ahead with the surrogacy. A year ago little Annie had joined them. She had Aaron’s blue eyes and beautiful nose which meant that every single member of her family would let her get away with murder, especially Robert. Grandma Chas and Grandpa Paddy called her Angel. She truly looked like what most described as a perfect example of angel, however, her parents, Liv and her brother knew better.

She was small but her screams would bring down the strongest resolves. She could not tolerate anything that was cold or wet which meant bath time with Annie was a war. Aaron and Robert had a rotating system for bath time as their two children could not be more opposite. As much as Annie hated the touch of water, Seb adored it. He was fascinated by rain, intrigued by puddles, excited when he saw the sea and was totally thrilled with the swimming pool!

It was something that Aaron had accidently discovered when he was almost one years old. He would splash and scream in delight every time Aaron had taken him. Aaron could still remember the first time he had taken him. It was when Robert had left Seb with Aaron. He was still very aware of the fact that having Seb alone was a test and an exercise in bonding. He knew Robert trusted him with Seb but was still a bit wary of the fact that he did not want to impose Seb on Aaron. After walking on eggshells around Aaron for the past while, Aaron had been fed up with Robert and practically demanded to have some alone time with Seb.

“If you can’t let me have him on my own, how can I prove that I am ok with him in our life?” Aaron had asked.

“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to spend time with him alone, if that’s not what you want Aaron. I love you and I don’t want anything to make you feel like I forgotten how he came into our lives and the pain I have caused you. I don’t want you to be hurt again Aaron.”

“Look, I know that. But we need to get passed where he came from and focus on the future. I need to spend time with him alone. He isn’t just my partner’s son anymore. He is sort of my stepson as well and we all need this.”

Shortly afterwards Robert had agreed and he dropped Seb and Aaron off at a big park in Hotten with the promise of picking them up in and having dinner in town after his meeting. It was in this instance that Seb had been introduced to the public swimming pool. While passing by the pool he had started laughing and clapping his hands. Encouraged, Aaron then had taken him to see other children play. After a while when Seb’s interested had failed to be taken away from the laughter of other children and the splashing, Aaron had taken him to a nearby shop to buy both of them swimming suits and tiny lifejacket and tube. Armed with their new fun equipment, they had spent the rest of the afternoon in the water. Seb did not have any hesitation when Aaron had first lowered him down in the water. Just excited and that had escalated to screaming and shrieking with laughter as his little feet was kicking the water.

From that day forward, it had become a weekly event. Sometimes Robert and Liv would join them but it was an Aaron and Seb activity. Of course until Seb moved to Liverpool.

After, when Seb was back, it had taken a few days for them to get back to the routine of having a small child around again but after a few weeks of adjustments, Aaron had taken Seb to the indoor pool and they had resumed their weekly “Aaron and Seb fun time” as Robert would call it.

After the “fiasco visit to the pool of 2020”, and after Annie had been banned from the pool, it was agreed between the parents that Aaron would take Seb to the pool while Robert would find an activity with Annie (it was napping, both Annie and Robert were very fond of napping).

Seb had started to learn how to float using his feet. Aaron was certain that he would become a great swimmer. He was thinking he was old enough to enroll him in one of the classes. Afterwards he had looked up the schedule for beginners lessons. That night he told Robert that Seb was ready to start swimming lessons.

For the next few weeks after Seb had started his swimming lessons that included other toddlers and their parents, Aaron and Robert had started to notice a strange behaviour from him. At first Robert noticed it at bath time. He had taken his shirt off as to not get wet. Seb was looking at his torso and frowning. He then touched his stomach as if to find something. He then looked at his own tummy with a frown. Robert put it down as his son’s way of noticing he had put some extra weight on and made a mental note to go running with Aaron again.

But it happened again a week later one night when they had both Annie and Seb in their bed and reading them a bedtime story. This time Seb lifted Annie’s pj’s and looked as her little tummy and started frowning again while Aaron was busy folding laundry. He didn’t bring attention to it as he knew his son was just curious about the baby.

It all came to a head a week later. Robert was cooking dinner and Liv was plastered across the living room with what seemed the entire contents of her backpack and “doing homework”. She was really texting with Gabby and not paying attention to anything else. Seb was surrounded by his plush toys and cars. Annie was down for nap time before dinner. Robert would check up on them from time to time to bring them snacks.

Aaron wasn’t home yet from a pick up. He was due any moment. While Robert was distracted and Liv wasn’t looking, Seb picked up a red pen that had rolled away from Liv’s school stuff and started to play with it. At first he started to draw on his own arms. By the time that Robert turned around to check on them again, he had covered his stomach with marks with the red pen.

“Liv!” Robert shouted which startled both Liv and Seb.

“What?” Liv shouted back at him.

“Look at him! How many times Liv? You have a big room with a desk specifically for doing homework! If you insist on doing it here at least make sure he isn’t around to go through your stuff. “He said as he took the pen away from Seb.

It was at that moment that Aaron came in.

“Dada!” screamed Seb and started to run towards Aaron who picked him up.

“Whoa! What happened to you little man? Did auntie Liv start doing art experiments on you again?” Aaron asked Seb.

Seb giggled and shake his head no.

“I did it myself! Now I look like you” Seb said proudly. He expected that his dad would say that he loves it and he is proud of him as always.

What he didn’t expect was the sudden silence. Aaron was frozen and Liv and Robert were looking at him with worried eyes.

 After a moment that no one seemed to be able to move, Aaron composed himself enough to ask “What do you mean look like me?”

“I saw at the pool that only you have the lines on your belly and no one else has them. I drew the lines on my belly so I look like you.” Responded Seb in his innocent voice. He had sensed that there was something wrong and perhaps he mustn’t have said what he did. He became more worried as he saw his daddy’s eyes become sad almost as if he was about to cry.

“Why are you sad daddy? Don’t you want me to be like you?” Seb asked almost in tears.

“No, no sweetheart. It’s not that. I love you and I am so proud of you, yeah? But how about you don’t worry about looking like me? Because you and I are best mates and nothing is gonna change that. Red lines or no red lines, yeah?” Aaron said hurriedly. He didn’t know what else to say. He was stunted.

As to change the subject and move past the horrible moment, Robert approached them and took Seb from Aaron’s arms. “Come on you. Let’s get you cleaned up before tea, yeah?”

“I’ll take him” Liv volunteered and took Seb upstairs.

Robert took Aaron in his arms and clung to him. He couldn’t say anything. He knew his husband’s emotions were in turmoil now and the only thing he could do was hold him.

It was later in bed when Aaron turned to him and said “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Do you hear me? Nothing.” Robert held Aaron tighter in his arms. “He won’t understand it now if you tell him, but perhaps in a few years, you will be able to tell him about your scars.”

“Maybe it’s best if you take him swimming from now on. Just for a while.” Aaron said.

“No. You are not that person anymore that shies away from his scars or his past. You are my beautiful, strong, complicated, and damaged husband and I love every little part of you. You have come so far and you can’t go back and hide yourself from the people you love the most. You are his hero. He loves you so much he wants to be exactly like you. You are not hiding yourself from him. We can tell him that your scars are not something that makes you you and he can love you without having to look like you. But you are not hiding from him. You understand me?” Robert said passionately as he looked at Aaron’s eyes.

“You know, it’s going to come up again and Annie is going to ask about them in future.so it’s better to get used to them knowing every part of you, because we are yours and we all love every part of you” Robert continued as Aaron’s silent tears were dampening his beautiful face.

“I love you so much.” It’s the only thing he could say. They would have to have very difficult conversations with their children in the future, but as long as he had Robert’s arms to turn to, he knew for certain they were all going to be alright.  


End file.
